With the recent news re: Sebastian Soto being contacted by Chilean Federation, I was just wondering if we could put together a list of prospects that we've pushed to cap-tie based on hype, but then their career development didn't pan out the way we expected? And maybe also ones we lost to other federations that went on to be extremely successful?

With the recent news re: Sebastian Soto being contacted by Chilean Federation, I was just wondering if we could put together a list of prospects that we've pushed to cap-tie based on hype, but then their career development didn't pan out the way we expected? And maybe also ones we lost to other federations that went on to be extremely successful?

a la Julian Green and Gedion Zelalam

and Giuseppe Rossi

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I wouldn't say Green flamed out, he's 24 and a regular starter in 2BL. Not the player we hoped he would be maybe, but I doubt he's gotten his last US cap.

In Mexico Miguel Angel Ponce was one we missed out on. He was starting for Chivas and I believe he was also getting playing time with the Mexican National team, but then dropped off the face of the earth. He would have been a steep upgrade over Bornstein at the time, but unfortunately playing for Chivas precluded him playing for us.

We also made a big push to get Edgar Castillo but he was never any good for us.

On the "ones we lost to other federations" side, Neven Subotic. Who played for us at youth level and switched to Serbia because Rongen cut him in favor of guys who went on to flame out of MLS. I thought that one hurt the most because we had him first.

With the recent news re: Sebastian Soto being contacted by Chilean Federation, I was just wondering if we could put together a list of prospects that we've pushed to cap-tie based on hype, but then their career development didn't pan out the way we expected? And maybe also ones we lost to other federations that went on to be extremely successful?

To me, the most notable one is Julian Green. Not so much because he has flamed out. He's still only 24 and might conceivably contribute. Instead, here's a kid who was taken to a full WC. Trained with the best of the NT. Got a few minutes and scored a goal. Did that experience help him one bit in achieving his maximum level? No! He's been disappointing since then. His is the case that convinced me that early caps don't help one bit.

To me, the most notable one is Julian Green. Not so much because he has flamed out. He's still only 24 and might conceivably contribute. Instead, here's a kid who was taken to a full WC. Trained with the best of the NT. Got a few minutes and scored a goal. Did that experience help him one bit in achieving his maximum level? No! He's been disappointing since then. His is the case that convinced me that early caps don't help one bit.

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Green was a bit disappointing because he was in the youth setup at Bayern, we'd never had a player in the senior team of a club of that caliber before other than Howard's stint at Manchester United, and Klinsmann promised him a spot on the WC roster to secure his commitment to the US over Germany which was viewed as a very legitimate threat at the time. However, failing to make the grade at a top 5-10 club in the world doesn't make him a bust, he's still young and excelling in a league comparable to MLS. He likely has not received his last US cap. We also had Chris Wondolowski and Brad Davis on that roster so it's not like Green took the roster spot of someone more worthy (I do think Donovan should have been on that team, but at the expense of one of those two guys).

Speaking of that 2014 team Mix Diskerud is another interesting case, he was a very good player for us for a few years and deserved to be on that roster at the time but then fell off the face of the earth. That 2014 US team has to be the only team in WC history whose player wearing the #10 shirt didn't see a single minute of action

Green was a bit disappointing because he was in the youth setup at Bayern, we'd never had a player in the senior team of a club of that caliber before other than Howard's stint at Manchester United, and Klinsmann promised him a spot on the WC roster to secure his commitment to the US over Germany which was viewed as a very legitimate threat at the time. However, failing to make the grade at a top 5-10 club in the world doesn't make him a bust, he's still young and excelling in a league comparable to MLS. He likely has not received his last US cap. We also had Chris Wondolowski and Brad Davis on that roster so it's not like Green took the roster spot of someone more worthy (I do think Donovan should have been on that team, but at the expense of one of those two guys).

Speaking of that 2014 team Mix Diskerud is another interesting case, he was a very good player for us for a few years and deserved to be on that roster at the time but then fell off the face of the earth. That 2014 US team has to be the only team in WC history whose player wearing the #10 shirt didn't see a single minute of action

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It's not so much Green's trajectory that is notable for me but that he was the most stunning push we've ever made to cap tie a player. In the end all that drama was for nothing. The push didn't really provide us any truly lasting benefits. IMO, the team would have been much happier with LD over Green but it's water under the bridge now.

Carter-Vickers, who got capped right after appearing in the EFL Cup for mighty Tottenham but is now languishing with one of the weaker Championship sides. I know he's 21, but at this point it seems unlikely he'll amount to much.

Jerry Kiesewetter, who was at the time with Fortuna in the 2.BuLi and favored to get promotion at the start of the 16/17 cycle. Now playing in the USL.

Morales, who was about to get capped by Peru at the time, and was playing in the 2.BuLi. He's had a successful career, becoming an indisputable starter in a mid-table Bundesliga team, but not getting called to the USMNT for whatever reasons.